Cyrenus wheeler



v all of the drawings.

, held thereon, by a mechanism that will be hereafter described.

gleiten ftons geteilt .I Letters Patent No. 76,571, dated prl 1868. 'l 'i .IMPROVEMENT 1N nanvnstrnas.

@in rlgrlmlc n'frmtitn in llgfst 'lrtirrs lnlmt un noting ont of' ily same.

'ro ALL WHOM rr MAY ooNcERN:

Be it known that I, CYREXL'S WHEELER, Jr., of Auburn, in thc county of Cayuga, and State of New-York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesting-lllachines and their fakes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this'specification, in whicl'l- Figure 1 represents in perspective a harvesting-machine, und rake attached, made after my general plan.

Figure 2 represents in perspective therake and somo of-it's more immediately connected operative parte, as detached from the machine. y

Figure 3 represents in perspective a view of the rake-driving sheave or pulley, and its connecting and disconnectingmechanism, taken from below, or underneath said Sheave or pulley. i

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like .parte ofthe machine in Myinvention relates mainly to the rake, its, connection und operation, and the mechanism for moving and stopping i'tsvmovements; also its particular motioninv curling in under the reel, so as to -s'weep the platform from a pointunderneath the line or circuit of the reel, or fromapoint close to the critters, thus insuring tha delivery of the stalks, however short they may be.

And my invention further relates to-a mechanism for taking up the slack in the chain or band that drives the reel, or letting it out, when the reel is lowered or raised on its support, and thus always keeping the chain or band taut, wherever the reel may. be working-,

To enable others skilled in the art to make and uso my invention, I will proceed to describe the-same, with reference to the drawings. i

The main frame A, which may be made of metal, is hinged at its front end to the'main axle, which in turn is supportedin the tno main supporting and driving-wheels 13 13'.. To the front of the main frame, as at a, is hinged the seat-frame C, the after part of which-isspported upon a pivotedcasterdvheel, D, so that said eeat frame maintains a uniform height above the ground, which is regulated by the height of the main wheelsv and caster, whilst the main frame, at its rear, is suspended from the scat-frame, and can be raised orion-ered, and

The cutter-bar, finger-har, platform, reel, and its support are connected to the main frame by a pivoted joint, around which they can be turned at pleasure, to raise or loner the points of the guards and cutters, by means of a lever connected therevrithand with the main freine, and extending -up within convenient reach of the driver in his seat The cutting-apparatus is raised unil lowered iu a vertical direction hy raising or lowering the rear end ofthe mainframe, to which rear par: the cutting-apparatus is connected to and in line with.

On the main axle, near the drivc-nhecl B, and connected with said main wheel by a pawl-and-ratchet cono nection, in the usual well-known way, and for the uguulwell-lilonn purpose, 'there is a Chain-heel, F, occupy ing from its eonneezionn vertical position; and suitably supported upon'the mainframe there is another chain-A rrheel, sheave, or pulley, G, occupying a horizontal position and over these tno chain-wheels F G, and'over or around'intermediately-placed friction-pulleys b c passes un endless drivingchain, H, which gives motion to the wheel, shcave, or pallev G, fromwhich the rake I is driven, as will be explained.

The chain-wheel, sheave, or pulley G is of itself o. rim, but it has a central portion, J, on or with which it moves, as the-case may be, there being a ratehet-and-puwl (J o) connection between themfas also a spring-bolt, v f, 'which devices lconnect or disconnect tho two parts under certain circumstances, and thus allow the poi-tion,` G, to always run with the chain, which is in constant motion as the machine advances, 'ivhilst the central portion,

J, that moves the rake, only moves at the irill of the driver in his scat, who Sinip ly,1vith his feet, presses down the lever K when he wants the rake to go into action, euch movement of the lever, asl shown at g. 3,drawiug "out the spring-boltf, end allowingthe pawl-e to act, and thus operate the-rake. Y

When the rake has completed its movement-fixatie, swept oti theplatfoi-ui and raised up into a somewhat vertical position-the wheel has turned suicient to bring the pawl c against the bolt or tripper, which .thrown l the pawl out from the ratchet, and the rake then remains vat rest until the driver again putsit in action by moving the lever K again with his foot, and thus removingthe holt, and allowingthe pawl to act again in uniting the two parts and causing them to more: together.v

Ou the upper portion of part, 5, of the chain-whelel, sheave, or pulley,

are arms-g, to whichone end of a connecting-rod, 11, is attached', the other end of said rod being attached to acrank-arm, {,'on th'e'ralte-head plate L, said rakehead plate being hung so as to turn on a stud or post,j, supported'in'a bearing-plate, l',

which is also a cam-plate, to aid in operating the rake.

The rake I, though moving with the rake-head plate L, at times, aroundl thestud or 'centr'eL-jphas also another, viz, a rising and falling motion, upon another stud or journal, m, which, though more nearly horiimportant to its :idiom-and which will be explained.`

0n the rake-plate L, ig. 2, there is a forked upright. piece, n, and on the sleerelorhoss o of the'ralcesshank M there is a notched flange, 1;; On the ho'ss o, or tothc pivot-bolt m on which it moves, there is hinged a lever',y

q, which has a downhanging arm, r, arits free This'lever g always remains in thecrotchor fork of the piece 11, and when the rake rises', soptliat the notch in the flange j comes under th-is lever,- it'(the lever) drops into the notch in thepiecc, p, and thus the boss or hub'ef't'lc raise n, andthe rake-plate or its hub-or boss, are united and move'together, and with the lever q, until the arm onsaid lever, in`riding up on. the 'cam-plates, raises up said lever until the boss o is released, and the rake'will then4 fall; and, in descending.,the-.Obliquity of the stud or pivot-111, on which it is hinged, causes it to move in-under the rcel, and drop at or near the rear' of the lingers, and s o near to thc cutters as to insure its talcing all the straw on the platform, however short it may he. i' I Rakes of this l-:ied 'have heretofore dropped perpondicnlarly in a line with, or tangential to, the circuit of' zontal, is inclined' at an angle from'its horizontality, for. a purpose, in connection' with the rake, that is highly' the reel, and hence never reached the fro-nt of the platform, asthe circuit of the reel extends some distance v in rear ofthe cutters. By giving my rake a. shearing motion under the reel', I get close up to the cutters with n the rake, and catch and sweep off the straw, however short it may be. v

The plate or head M, to which the rake I is attached by its shank, is connected to a spring or spring-bar, t, by a. chain, N, which chain becomes-strained or tightened up, and also strains np said spring, before the rake reaches the point where it is released and allowed to fall; and when the rake falls, or shears in under the reel, it doeslso under the tension of the spring; and this tension exerts itself the moment the rake is ready to begin to clear the platform, in4 starting, and aiding the rake to start, from its state of rest without `jar or such sudden;

ness as would be likelyto disarrange any of the parts.

When the rake has swung around and cleared the platfornnand delivered the gavel upon the ground,

projection, rl, on the plate )l comes against a earn, z', on the plate 7:, which causes thc rake to. rise up, and as v it rises, its boss and the slotted flange p turn on the stud or pivot m until the lever q drops into thenotch inv the flange 1,1, and thus locks the rake in its raised-up position, and until the driver again'puts the rake in :notionby pressing upon the lever K, when the riding up of the arm r'uporrthe cam-plane s, as before described,

raises the leveror latch, and relcasespthe rake, which drops or cuts under the reel, asbefore.

O is a lever connected to au arc, P, on which a ratchet, 1v, is made, and :n is a spring-pawl working in said ratchet, said pawl being thrown out by a footlle-rem'y, operated by the driver, and thrown in by the spring. The main frame is suspended from this lever O by a chain, z, and by it is 'raised and held up, or let down, at pleasure.l Y i Q is a lever, having a. grasping-piece, bolt, 2., that takes into 'notches in a permanent arc, R, fastened to the main frame; and the lever Q is hung on a pivot, at or near the centre of the are R, and is connecte-l to the shoe S by arms T, so that the driver, fromv his seat, can raisev or lower, and fasten at the proper position, the points of the guards, and theicutters working therein. l l l The rcelpost U is secured at its heel to a plate, Y, fastened to theshoe S, and can be adjusted on said plate, which .has a series of holes in it for that purpose. can be adjusted on said reel-post L', and, when adjusted, firmly hel-dvby a clamping-lever, 3. v On the .reel-post is arranged, by a. slot and set-screw, v4 5, an arm, (i, that carries two friction-pulleys 7 8, one on cach of its ends; and on the plate V areitwo other friction-pnlleys,f, 1Q, around or over whichpulleys, und around or over the maindrivingpulleys Y Z, passes an endless belt or chain, 11, as shownl by the drawing, for driving the reel.

The object of or to adjust it when the reel is raised or lowered. y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the endless and contiunouslymoving chain, as the machine advances, the rim G,

1, connected with it, which graspingpiece connects with a spring- Thc -reel-shaft W is supported in. a saddle, X, which 'the arm (i and its pulleys T S is to take up the slack'of' the driving-chain when necessary,

and itsintcrior wheel J, with ratchet, pawl, and spring-bolt attachment, for the purpose of setting in motion 'and driving a rake, at thc will of the operator, which rake is automatically thrown cnt of action at the com- I pletiou of every sweeping operation, substantiallj as described.

2. I also claim, in combination with a rising and f lling and swcepingrake, the two pivots or centres of motion t' m, the latter being oblique to and inv-'a different plane from the former, so that, as the rake drops upon vthe platform, it will eut or shear in -under the-v'reel, and fall more nearly tothe cutting-point, and thus reach all the'straw, however short it may be, substantially' as described.

3. 1 also claim, 'incombi-nation with a rising and falling and sweepi'ngra-kqthe armed lever g, cam l, and'v notches at or non; the parts np, for the purpose of connecting and discomieting the two parts, snbstxntinlly 9i as and for tbs purpose described. Y

' 4. I also ciu' A3*., in combination with the endless ciinn for dxiving the reel, thc swinging and aju'sta'bl arm 6, with' its p;}-: .s. -onc in each cm1 thereof', for taking n'p the siack of orvletting out th chain, as the reel xs lowered or raised-@r1 it; post, substantially as described.

` Witnesses:

A. B. 5105611105', C. D. 'Wmfznnsojrom C. WHEELER, Jn,v 

